97
comments
:

Thursday, February 28, 2008

Hey guys - I just wanted to take a moment and thank you all so much for your encouragement, thoughts and prayers. Stan and I are back in Austin and are doing okay. We've had, by far, the most trying week of our lives, but it's in times like this that recognize how deeply blessed we are to have the love and support of so many of our family and friends.

I am sure that in the future I will open up a bit more about what's been going on, but for now I'll just say that our family is going through a very tough experience right now and we have quite a road ahead of us. We appreciate your patience and understanding during this time. Life is not always easy or fun and difficult times do come, but we are committed to continuing to love and serve all of our clients, family, and friends with our whole hearts now and always.

7
comments
:

Sunday, February 24, 2008

Hey guys - I just wanted to let you all know that, due to an unexpected family emergency, Stan and I will be out of town (and thus, out of the office) from Sunday, February 24th through Wednesday, February 27th. If you have called us or sent an email we will be sure to get back to you as quickly as possible once we return.

1
comments
:

Friday, February 22, 2008

Though I'm sad to report that I cannot post all of my favorite images from Stacy & Eric's engagement session before I go to bed tonight or before I shoot a wedding tomorrow, I did want to leave them something to tide them over for the weekend. :)

S&E - sorry it's not more, but I promise your sneak peek is coming VERY soon!

Their cake was about 20 feet tall and truly breathtaking. When I find out who the baker was, I'll share because Stan tells me that the cake tasted incredible. Sadly, cake is not on Stacy's diet. :(

Cheryl's grandpa gave a very sweet toast. Grandpa and Grandma just celebrated their 64th wedding anniversary and are basically as cute as could be!

One of my favorite things about having Stan shooting with me is the fact that when I get home and upload his pictures, I have no idea what I'm going to get. It's little surprises like this image that make me smile. :)

7
comments
:

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

I am so honored to present to you my dear friend Kate and her wonderful fiance Davis!

Kate and I have been friends since I was in high school. We met at Camp Allen and were instant friends. When she moved away to UT, I basically made her dorm room my 2nd home and took as many trips as possible to Austin to see she and our other Longhorn friends.

Kate is a huge part of the reason why I decided to come to Austin and attend the University of Texas after I graduated high school. She's an even bigger reason that I lived at SRD (Scottish Rite Dormitory) my freshman year of college and there's so much GOOD in my life now that has come from that time. I have Kate to thank for helping pave the way for a very happy and successful college experience for me. Beyond all of that, I truly LOVE and enjoy the heck out of her! She is one of my funniest friends EVER and we have so many incredible memories together!

Needless to say, I was unbelievably honored when I received an enthusiastic phone call from Kate, letting me know that she had gotten engaged and that she wanted me to be her wedding photographer! I was (and still am) completely beside myself at the thought of shooting Kate's wedding. It is a huge honor to get to share her day with her.

Then came Davis. Davis and I didn't meet until the other day when we got together for their engagement session. WOW. He is PERFECT for Kate. Davis is a kind, classy, funny, intelligent, good-lookin' guy and I am so thrilled that he has asked my friend to marry him. I 110% approve of Kate's choice in a husband! What a great match!

9
comments
:

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

I love coffee! It's funny because just a few years ago I could not stand the taste of coffee, much less enjoy it. It was not until I started Nursing school that I actually forced myself to drink coffee during the long study hours I suddenly had to endure. After several months of drinking coffee, I found that I actually enjoyed it. And now? I am a coffee maniac! I seriously love it. Now, I'm still kind of a coffee baby, because I definitely have to have the fru-fru coffee with lots of good stuff in it. But I love it, nonetheless!

Starbucks is my one big weakness right now. My drink (venti sugar-free hazelnut soy-milk latte) is not only incredibly delicious but it's actually good for me! I get a serving and a half of my calcium for the day, which otherwise is difficult for me to get, since I don't drink cow's milk much anymore. However, the painful side to all of this is that my favorite drink also costs $4.60! Gheeze. Soooooo . . . . I've decided to start making this exact drink for myself at home. I'm going to the grocery store to find some sugar-free syrups and I've already purchased the starbucks coffee. I always have soy milk in my fridge, so all I need is a steamer. I am planning to go by Bed Bath and Beyond sometime today to purchase that. It may be a big investment up-front for all of this stuff, but I figure it will save me somewhere around a gajillion dollars in the long-run, so it's worth it!

0
comments
:

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Here's a picture of Stan and I exchanging Valentine's gifts this morning:

Watching the hundreds of diamond and candy commercials leading up to Valentine's Day this year has had me thinking. I tried to imagine what my reaction would be if Stan just decided to go out and buy some diamonds behind my back and bring them home to surprise me. Every time I play through this scenario in my mind, it always turns out pretty bad. I know myself and I think that Stan knows me well enough to NOT do that. :) Diamonds mean nothing to me (except for my incredibly beautiful wedding rings, which hold tremendous sentimental value) and candy will only make me miserable!

As I was thinking about what Valentine's Day would be like this year, I was filled with a deep sense of gratitude and joy. Our kitchen will literally be finished TODAY after many months of construction and many dollars reluctantly spent. :) It really looks amazing and it's so exciting to see our dreams for our little kitchen come together (I'll share pictures soon!). This year, Stan and I have decided to stay home and cook (we have not been able to cook in our home in over 3 months) a delicious gourmet meal in our brand new kitchen! There is no other way in the world that I would rather spend this Valentine's Day!

No, we're not big on all the Valentine's hoopla, but we do think it's nice to do something special to recognize how truly blessed we've been in love. This year we will celebrate 5 years of marriage and it has been one crazy whirlwind of joy, laughter, growth, challenges, and learning. I would not go back and change one single thing. I love Stan so much and I am so thankful that every year, for the rest of my life, I get to have hunky Stan Cross as my Valentine. :) I am the luckiest girl in the world!

12
comments
:

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

All you need is love. All you need is love. All you need is love. love. Love is all you need.

Ahhhh. How cute are Todd and Paula?!?!?! They are totally in love and it's incredible. Todd is one of Stan's very best friends and Stan will be a groomsman in Todd & Paula's wedding in June, while I get to be their photographer - hoooray!!! :)

Todd and Paula's love is also an answer to prayer. :) Stan really loves Todd and has always thought he was this totally incredible dude and was greatly deserving of an equally awesome girl, but the right lady never came along - until now. Paula is soooooo lovely. She has the biggest heart of probably anyone I've ever met and the girl is sassy, fun, and beautiful. She makes Todd smile - a LOT. All of these things were qualities that Stan prayed would be found in a lady for Todd and his prayers were answered!(This is how Stan claims responsibility for their relationship! :) )

Anyway, here are a few of my favorites from their engagement session. To pump up the cute factor about 100%, Todd and Paula are not kissing until their wedding day (ummmm......hope that wasn't a secret, guys!) and it made for a very fun time of finding unique ways to demonstrate closeness without kisses - loved it! :) These were taken in gorgeous Wimberley, Texas, where Todd asked Paula to be his wife. Awwww.

This is really more of an outtake, but I thought it was hilarious, so I had to share! We went to this beautiful outdoor theater that had all kinds of interesting things, including a HUGE chess board.